Biaxial electric terminal



Feb. 16, 1965 INVENTOR. [If JOSEPH COLLINS J. c. COLLINS 3,169,814

BIAXIAL ELECTRIC TERMINAL Filed May 31, 1962 United States Patent v O 3,169,814 BIAXIAL ELECTRIC TEAL Joseph C. Collins, Scituate, 11.1., assignor to North American Philips, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 198,816 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-47) This invention relates to a hermaphroditic electric terminal in which the contact portions are so shaped as to make connection with another terminal of the same configuration. In particular it relates to a biaxial electric terminal having parallel, cylindrical, contact portions of different diameters to interlock with similar contact portions of an identical terminal.

In the manufacture of electric terminals the cost of terminals is always an important factor. One way to reduce the cost is to reduce the number of dies necessary to make a complete connection including two terminals capable of joining together. In the present invention the desired simplification is achieved by means of a hermaphroditic terminal in which the same structure serves as both the male and female portions. The contact sections of the terminal consist of two cylindrical members, one of which has internal cross-sectional dimensions of substantially the same size as the external cross-sectional dimensions of the other. The cylindrical portions are attached to a central portion so as to extend parallel to each other, and generallyside by side. This makes it possible for identical terminals to be joined end to end since the larger dimensioned portion of one of the ter minals will slide over the portion of smaller dimensions of the other terminal in order to complete the connection between the two terminals.

The invention will be described in greater detail in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of two terminals constructed according to the invention, one of the terminals being joined to the end of an isolated wire;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the terminals in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the terminal in FIG. 2.

The two terminals in FIG. 1 are identical except that one is shown in its original form and the other is shown connected to the end of a wire. Both terminals have parallel cylinders 11 and 12 that serve as the contact portions of the terminals. In the example shown these cylinders are substantially circular in cross section, and the outer crosssectional dimension or diameter of the smaller cylinder 12 is substantially equal to the inner cross-sectional dimension or diameter of the larger cylinder 11. For best electrical contact the outer diameter of the cylinder 12 may be made just slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cylinder 11 to create good rubbing contact therebetween when the two terminals are pushed together along the common axis 13. As may be seen the cylinders 11 and 12 do not form complete circles, and as a result, when the cylinders 12 are inserted into the cylinders 11, the diameter of the cylinders 12 can decrease slightly under pressure from the cylinders 11 while, conversely, the diameter of the cylinders 11 can increase slightly.

Joining the cylinders 11 and 12 together at one end is a base portion 14. The forward end, that is the end toward the contact cylinders 11 and 12, of the base 14 is bent upwardly to join the rear end of a central member 16. This member 16 is substantially coplanar with the axes of the cylinders 11 and 12 and is approximately one "Ice half the length of the two cylinders so as to form a stop to limit the extent of insertion of the cylinders 12 of the two terminals into the cylinders 11. The central member 16 also serves to strengthen the terminals and to keep the axes of the cylindrical portions parallel to each other. Thus in joining two of these terminals together it is not necessary to exercise a high degree of caution since it is impossible to force the terminals together beyond the point at which the forward ends of the members 16 come into contact with each other.

Also extending from the base 14 is a wire-crimping structure, which may take any convenient form. In the embodiment shown the wire-crimping member consists of a pair of lugs 17 and 18 extending from opposite sides or" the base 14 and bent upwardly to form, with the base 14, a generally U-shaped structure to receive one end of a wire 19. As shown by the left-hand terminal, the lugs 17 and 18 are then bent toward each other, and their ends are forced down against or into the conductor 19. As is customarily the case, the conductor 19 is enclosed within an insulating sleeve 21, and further in accord with standard practice, the base 14 is provided at its rear end with insulation-holding means in the form of a pair of lugs 22 and 23. The ends of the lugs 22 and 23 extend from the sides of the base 14 and are bent upwardly in the same direction as the lugs 17 and 18. Like the latter, the lugs 22 and 23 can be folded over the insulation 21, as shown in the left-hand terminal, in order to support the end of the insulation and to keep the terminal from wearing out and breaking the conductor 19 in that region, if the conductor is subjected to much bending.

A different view of the terminal is shown in FIG. 2. In this View it may be seen that the outer end ofjthe central member 16 is substantially half way between the ends of the cylinders 11 and 12. The edges 24 and 26 of the base 14 between the rear ends of the cylindrical portions 11 and 12 and the wire-crimping lugs 17 and 18 are bent upwardly to improve the rigidity of the whole terminal. At the rear end of the base 14, beyond the lugs 22 and 23, is a metal strip 27 that is integral with the terminal itself and is, in fact, the remainder of the metal ribbon out of which the terminal was formed. The terminal is joined to this remainder strip 27 by means of a short neck 28 which is normally cut ofi at the time that the terminal is attached to the end of a wire. Alter-' natively, the neck 28 may be severed earlier in order to separate the terminal from the strip 27.

The position of the central member 16 is shown more clearly in FIG. 3 where it is seen to be in the same plane as the axes of the cylinders 11 and 12. This permits the ends of two such central members 16 to meet when two of the terminals are joined together end to end.

While this invention has been described in terms of a specific embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modification may be made therein rigidly joined to the other ends of said cylinders; and V Wire-crimping means extending from said base porticn to attach said terminal to a wire.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said cylinders extend substantially equal distance beyond said central member. 3. The device of claim 2 in which said central member extends longitudianlly of said cylinders to substantially midway between the opposite ends of each of said UNITED STATES PATENTS Lillard Feb. 2, 1892 Andersen Sept. 4, 1945 Hammell a Dec. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS France Sept. 5, 1905 France Oct. 23, 1933 

1. A BIAXIAL ELECTRIC TERMINAL COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPLIT LONGITUDINALLY PARALLEL CYLINDERS, THE INTERNAL, CROSSSECTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF ONE CYLINDER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE EXTERNAL, CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF THE OTHER CYLINDER; A CENTRAL MEMBER COMPRISING A FLAT SHELF APPROXIMATELY COPLANAR WITH THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDERS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID CYLINDERS, ONE END OF SAID CYLINDERS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID MEMBER; A BASE PORTION RIGIDLY JOINED TO THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID CYLINDER; AND WIRE-CRIMPING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID BASE PORTION TO ATTACH SAID TERMINAL TO A WIRE. 